Fans of country music, we have the suggestion for you! With her new album ‘Come Waltz with Me’ on the horizon, American country artist Nancy Hays has released her first two singles in the lead up – ‘1, 2, 3, Too Many Times’ and ‘Come Waltz with Me’, released on August 15th and September 26th respectively.
The first single was part written by Marjorie Reeves, who had previously collaborated with Nancy Hays on ‘Come Dance with Me’, never recorded the song, leaving it aside for many years. However, at Reeves’ funeral in October 2021, Hays spoke to several songwriting friends of Reeves who had given her the lyrics. Now, with a chance to record this single to honour her friend, Hays went to Reeves’ family home studio, where the untouched gem was recorded for the very first time.
The result, is a classic country song that sings from the perspective of a female whose partner has started to dance with their ex. Giving not only an impeccable vocal performance, Hays also gives a somewhat emotional performance that allows the listener to engage with and feel the song from her perspective. Painting a picture of uncertainty and heartbreak, the lyrics from Reeves tell a story that is held together by a classic country sound and the vocal talent of Hays, where she shines from beginning to end.
Her second single, ‘Come Waltz with Me’, tells another story of a woman who is asked to dance by a man after noticing each other. Taking us through her love for dancing, and the feeling of dancing with a man. Taking the listener through the social interaction before, during and after the dance, it’s another great song of personal feelings within dance that fits in perfectly with her country sound.
After listening to them both, it’s easy to say that both singles are fantastic. Vocal performances both in quality and emotion in both suit the songs really well, and the lyrics are so well put together they’re able to give such a detailed story that is performed with ease. Both singles are out now, so make sure you familiarise yourself with Nancy Hays before the full release of her album!
